Driving-axle.



H. W. ALBEN. DRIVING AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. 1912.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

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lllx

H. W. ALDEN.

DRIVING AXLE. APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 29. 1912.

1,049,637, Patented .12117, 1913.

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UNITED, STATES APATENT oEEIoE. niiiamiiar wmmw, or DETROIT, Amemorizar, nssrcizoa ToV minimun-Damon nxLn connu, or nn'rlwrr, momma', n, conronarron or omo.

..pioying'tnm single citizen of the United States,

for the initial DRIVING-mn. 1,049,637. Mmmm um heim Patented .Ian`.7,`1913. application mea :une 29,1913. serial no. 706,050, v To all 'whom it may concern." portions of the axle are r screw-threaded to 55 -Be' it known that I, HERBERT W. AmEN, a and a resident' of vv-the city of Detroit, inV the county -of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a 'new and useful Improvementin Driving-Axles, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to driving axles for motor vehicles and the like. s.

It has for its principal objects to pruce an axle structure ofthe iloatingtype einroller bearing of the tapered roller type under each wheel in lieu of the double bearings usually employed without sacrificing any'material advantage; to facilitate the' adjustment of the bearings set up and for subsequent wear; and to attain certain advantages which will hereinafter more fully appear.

The invention consists in the parts and in the arrangementsand combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In `the accompanying drawings which form part oftlns specllication and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,-Figure l is a fragmentary longitudinal section through the outer end por- `tion of a driving axle and the portion in the region of the differential mechanism, illus- `trating an adaptation of the invention; Fig.

2 is an elevation of the entire axle with the hub portions of the wheels assembled there` on; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end view partly insection on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation on the line 4 4 of Fig.` l.

The axle shown in the drawings comprises a tubular casing-1 whose middle portion is enlarged and has secured thereto a supporting casing 2 for the differential mechanism. The diierential mechanism comprises a housing 3 which is mounted on antifriction bearings 4. In this housing are journaled the dierential pinions 5 and gears 6. Fixed on the housing .is a bevel driving gear 7` on the pro-` which meshes 'with a pinion 8 mounted on the inner bearing rings or concs 13 of theantifrict-ion bearings for the wheel hubs. The outer extremities of the reduced end to slide in a groove A the shoulder 18 receive adjusting nuts 14 'and 15 whichcooperate with said bearing rings' or cones 13. Interposed between said nuts' 1s a washer 16 having a feather-keyor projection adapted said washer is held against rotation, but is permitted movement endvviseA on the tube Ato Permit of the adjustment (lf/1.1Snleairing/aswwwAw will hereinaitermorerful'l" a ear.v .f'ITh e/\flir y pp central portion 18 in which is seated the outer ring 19 of the antifriction bearing, said ring abutting at itsinner end against formed by contracting the inner end portion of the-hub. The hub 18 is provided with an annular plate or flange 20 at its outer end havmg a series of countersunk perforations through 'which lsecuring vbolts 2l Aare passed to clamp the spokes v22 of the wheel between said flange-20q and brake drum plate 23. The bolts 21 have collars 24 which are seated in the countersunk perforatlon's in said flange 20 and project a 17 in the tube whereby 60 eel hub comprises a cylindrical slight distance beyond the outer face of said flange so as to iit in or plate 2 5 which vis the outer end portions of sai'd bolts 21. The plate 25 is preferably made integral with a central hub or socket member 27, the connection betweensaid plate and socket member being eitherv a solid web having an opening or openings-therein, or,fas shown, a series of spider legs 28, so that access may be had to the adjusting nuts 14 and 15 of the bearing. The hub portion 27 is provided with a tapered axial seat in which the counterpart perforations in a ring outer end portion of the shaft-section .29' is fastened as by a key 30-and asecuring nut 31 on thereduced tion.

- In order to keep out dust and dirt a cap or shield l32 is provided to cover the open spider.y This cap as shown is held in place by the protecting cap 33 which is screwed onto the hub member 27 to guard the nut 31. Obviously,'however, 'in cases where a perfora'ted web is provided in lieu of the spider,

clamped by nuts 26 on extremity of the shaft secthe perforation may be closed by a removable plug- The inner ends of the shaft sections 29 are mounted inthe hubs of the differential gears 6 and abut a ainst each other so as to transmit the end t ust from one wheel bearing to the other; and said inner end portions of the shaft sections 29 may have a feather-key connection vwith the hubs of said differential gears 6 or the coperating parts may have polygonal faces so that the gears and shaft sections are fixed to rotate' together but are permitted independent endwise movement.

' By this arrangement the differential mechanism can be adjusted without a'ecting the working of the shaft sections and the end thrust of the shaft sections is not transmitted to the bearings of said differential mechanism. j

By placing the bearingsin the wheel hubs so that the smallerl endsof the rollers and the inner ring or cone are disposed inward, the outer ring has, of course, to flare outward. Consequently, the side thrust of the wheels outward is taken by the bearings and resisted 'by ythe adjusting nuts 14, 15. The side thrust of the wheels inwardwis transmitted through the abutting shaft sec? tions to the bearing for the opposite wheel. The bearing may also be placed medially with respect Vto the tread of the wheel so that the full benelit of its efiiciency is obtained. By this arrangement, also, the initial set up or adjustment may be readily effected by manipulating the adjusting -nuts 14, 15, and any subsequent wear can be as readily taken up by merely removing the lcap or cover without making it necessary to dismantle any other parts of the axle structure. l

Obviously, the axle structure admits of considerable modification without departing from the invention. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the speciiic construction and arrangement shown.

What I claim is: 1. The combination with a hollow axle, of wheels journaled on antifriction bearings on the end portions of said' axle, said bearings being adapted to take the side thrust of the respective wheels outward but permit movement of the wheels inward, and a driving shaft extending through said axle and xedly connected at its ends to the respective wheels so that the side thrust of one wheel inward is transmitted to and taken bythe bearing of the opposite wheel.

2. The combination with a hollow axle, of wheels journaled on antifriction bearings on the end portions of said axle, said bearings being adapted to take the side thrust ofthe respective wheels outward, a differential driving gear mounted within said axle,I and adivided driving shaft extending through said axle, the inner ends of said shaft sections abutting and the adjacent portions having a sliding key con- .nection with said differential driving gear,

and the outer end portions of said shaft sections being fixedly connected to the respective wheels so -that the side thrust of one wheel inward is transmitted to and taken by the bearing of the opposite wheel.

3. The combination with a hollow axle, of wheels journaled on the end portions of said axle, each wheel bein yprovided with a single antifriction journa bearing adapted to take the' side thrust of the wheel outward, and Aa divided driving shaft extending through said axle, theinner ends of said driving shaft sections abutting and the outer end portions being xedly connected to the respective wheels so that the' side thrust of one wheel inward is transmitted to and taken by the bearing of the opposite wheel.

4. The combination with a hollow axle, of wheels journaled on the end portions of said axle, each wheel being provided with an antifriction bearing including a single annular series of tapered rollers whose spondingly tapered hub bearing ring and axle ccnegand an adjustable stop/on the sist movement of the latter outward, and a divided driving shaft extending through said axle, the inner ends of the shaft sections abutting and their outer end portions being fixedly connected to the respective wheels.

5. The combination with a hollow axle, of Wheels journaled on the end. portions of said axle and each having -an antifriction journal bearing adapted to take the side nally on the axle and means for adjusting said sleeve and limiting its position outward, a divided driving shaft extendin through said axle, the inner ends of sai shaft sections abutting, and means connectthe respective wheels, said connecting means including a member having its marginal portion secured rigidly to the ,wheel in the region of the hub thereof and its central portion fixed to the end portion of the cooperating shaft section, saidvmember havin an opening in the region of the journa bearing of the wheel.

6. The combination with a hollow axle, of

said axle and each having an antifriction journal bearing adapted to -take the side thrust of the wheel outward only, including a single annular series of tapered rollers whose smaller ends are disposed inward, a tapered bearing ring fitted in the wheel hub with its smaller openin inward, a correspondingly tapered bearing cone sleeved on the axle,the adjacent outer ortion of the axle being screwhreaded, an an adjusting and stop nut or nuts screwed onto said axle in cooperative relation to the outer end of said cone, a divided driving shaft extendin through said axle, the inner ends of said smaller ends are disposed inward, a correing the outer ends of the shaft sections to Wheels journaled on the end portions Vof' axle coperating with said axle coneto, re-V f thrust of the wheel outward only, including an inner bearing sleeve movable longitudi-- ,including a member insges? shaft sections abutting, and means connecting the outer ends of the shaft sections to the respective Wheels, said connecting means having' its marginal portion secured rigidly to the Wheel in the region of the hub thereof and its central portlon fixed to the end portion of the cooperating shaft section, said member having an opening in the region of the journalv bearing of the wheel.

Signed at Detroit, day of J une, 1912.

HERBERT W. ALDEN. Witnesses: v LEWIS R. JtmsoN, LEsLm WILLIAMS.

l0 Michigan, this 25th 

